Whole30 Drunken Noodles

A healthy rendition of a traditional drunken noodles recipe. Paleo, healthy and so easy to make! Get ready to climb into a big bowl of magical deliciousness and healthy eats!

A drunken noodles recipe that’s better than the “real” thing.

This recipe has been a VERY long time coming. There is this [un]healthy obsession I have with a damn good drunken noodle dish, and I’ve been wanting to turn my favorite Thai dish into something Whole30 compliant for ages.

I’ve been thinking up this fabulous recipe for a while now, and you will not be let down!

I thought it was going to be hard to really get those full and vibrant flavors from a traditional drunken noodle dish into this healthy, whole30 version but boy was I mistaken. When I first made this recipe, I used a 3 1/2 pound bag of chicken thighs I got from Costco.

My husband polished off this dish in under 2 days…

He has issues, right? Nah. This dish is just that good. He’s my garbage disposal, and I adore him for it…

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You can rejoice as these drunken noodles are Whole30 compliant, too.

I know how daunting it can be to get through a Whole30… especially if it’s your first one! For that reason, I’ve done my best to be your go-to resource for anything and everything Whole30 related! This Whole30 Drunken Zucchini Noodles recipe can be your go-to yummiest dinner ever.

Seriously, make this for the whole family, and they’ll never make fun of your Whole30 journey again. Guaranteed.

I took a poll a few months back about whether you’d like to see more Whole30 Meal Plans or recipes up on my blog, and the results seemed to be pretty even. For that reason, I am doing my best to create both for you.

I’ve got lots and lots of fresh and exciting Whole30 recipes coming your way this month, so start getting excited! I’m also doing my best to get a new Whole30 meal plan out in the next week or two. Plans have sorted shifted since I started working on the Cookies, Brownies & Bars ebook… weeeee!!

True thai flavors going on in these paleo drunken noodles!

You’re going to be absolutely floored by the authentic flavor combinations coming from this delicious dish. I can’t wait to start making this dish more and more often.

It’s time for me to stop frequenting the local Thai place so damn often. They know my name, it’s fine.

But for real. If I can start recreating so many of my favorite Asian inspired dishes, I’m going to save a ton of money. You’re also getting extra nutrition with the zucchini noodles in this dish.

It’s really like a triple whammy, if you ask me!

It’s time to add these drunken noodles into the weekly rotation. They are such a darn good addition to any meal plan, and I know I’ll be making them again very soon!

Whole30 Drunken Noodles

These Whole30 Drunken Noodles are the perfect addition to your Whole30 meal plan. They can be made with any type of protein you'd like or you can add extra veggies and keep this dish vegetarian!

For a Whole30 compliant chili garlic paste, check out this recipe here! Otherwise, you can buy chili garlic paste at most Asian markets!

Instructions

Spiralize the zucchini first. I like to use the "C" blade on my Inspiralizer. Feel free to spiralize it as thick or as thin as you'd like! Add the spiralized zucchini to a large colander and place it over the sink. Add a few teaspoons of kosher salt and massage it well into the zucchini. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, as this process will release a lot of moisture. Rinse the zucchini well with cold water and let it drain for another 10-15 minutes. Pat it as dry as you can with a kitchen towel and set aside.

In a large frying pan, melt the ghee and let it coat the entire surface of the pan. Once the pan has heated up for a few minutes, add the diced chicken and a few sprinkles of salt and pepper. Cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently until the chicken is cooked through (go ahead and grab a piece and cut it in half to double check!) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a large bowl and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of ghee to the frying pan and toss in the bell peppers and onion. Let it cook for about 5 minutes until soft and tender. Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add basil, chiles and frozen vegetables and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 15 minutes until the frozen vegetables are cooked through, stirring frequently.

While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients. Set aside.

Once the vegetables are cooked through, add the cooked chicken back into the pan and stir everything together.

Add the sauce to the pan and turn the heat to medium. Once the mixture begins to simmer, turn the heat to medium-low and add the spiralized zucchini. Let this all cook for another 5-7 minutes until the zucchini noodles have reached your desired level of doneness.

This looks wonderful but I am confused. I recall reading in the whole 30 “rules” that you cannot create “cheats” meaning you cannot replicate an unhealthy non whole30 dish using all whole 30 approved ingredients. This included noodles. Is this recipe truly Whole 30 compliant?

Hi there! Such a great question… I would absolutely consider this dish compliant, as there are a large number of Whole30 compliant dishes that are made with spiralized vegetables… zucchini noodles are the base of many Whole30 recipes. I would say something like whole30 pancakes would be more applicable, but simply because the ‘noodles’ are just made from zucchini, I think you’re good to go!

The flavors in this were amazing, but mine came out pretty soupy despite letting the noodles sit in a colander with salt. I should have added a bit of arrowroot to thicken up the sauce, but it still tasted great nonetheless. Thanks for a great recipe!

Hi there, thank you so much for the kind feedback Kate! Actually, we went out to Thai food tonight, and I’m itching to create this Phad Thai Gaeng Dang they have there (I know, the name is absolutely nuts!) It’s basically a hybrid of creamy curry and phad thai… yum, yum. I’ll have to say come back soon and take a peek around for more spin-offs like this!

This looks yummy, but would you mind making the prep and cook times accurate on your recipes? I’ve been looking for Whole30 recipes to pin to Pinterest that take minimal prep time, had pinned this one because you put the prep time at 10 minutes and cook time at 20 minutes, and realized the recipe actually takes over an hour to make! Thanks for sharing, though. 🙂

Hi there, I’m so so sorry about that! I should have clarified that cook time meant actively in this recipe. Since most of the time is spent just waiting for it to cook down on the stove (without touching it), I didn’t add that. But yes, you are completely right and again, I’m sorry. I hope you at least enjoyed it! 🙂

I love Thai food and Pad Kee Mao is my favorite noodle dish. To now be able to enjoy it Whole30 with this delicious recipe has scratched another food off the Temptation To Stray list. This recipe is so flavorful. Thank you!

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[…] Who needs takeout when you can make this better-for-you take on an Asian classic? Plus, there’s nothing bland about zucchini noodles when they’re drowning in a sauce of chili garlic paste, fish sauce, lime, and ginger. Get the recipe. […]

[…] Who needs takeout when you can make this better-for-you take on an Asian classic? Plus, there's nothing bland about zucchini noodles when they're drowning in a sauce of chili garlic paste, fish sauce, lime, and ginger. Get the recipe. […]

[…] Who needs takeout when you can make this better-for-you take on an Asian classic? Plus, there’s nothing bland about zucchini noodles when they’re drowning in a sauce of chili garlic paste, fish sauce, lime, and ginger. Get the recipe. […]